Yes, faculty are professionals whose ethical standards should not be imposed from above.
Herb Germann*

While I agree with the principles enumerated in the College of William and Mary's policy on amorous relations between faculty and undergraduates, I take exception to such principles being imposed from on high by an academic Big Brother.

Clearly, faculty members have an ethical obligation to our students: We must support their unfettered pursuit of learning, adhere to professional standards, and ensure that evaluations of students are fair and based on merit. To this end, colleges and universities hire professionals who are expected to be competent in their disciplines and ethical in their behavior. College Authority must trust that faculty members will act ethically in their student/professor relationships without the threat of punitive retribution.

Institutional Authority too often imposes policies on all, instead of dealing directly with individual breaches of professional behavior. Such polices de facto suggest that faculty members are generally unable to regulate themselves or are prone to ethical weakness in the absence of guidance from a higher authority with a stick.

Belief in the value of the individual is a basic Western tradition and requires that people should be as free from restraint as possible. The threat of termination for violating institutional policies will not make the campus a better place for learning.

Certainly, where there are breaches of professionalism, the college must act decisively. But this action should be taken against individuals who have violated their professional trust-and not used to impugn the integrity of all faculty. Personal relationships are complex interactions that should not be over-regulated or prohibited a priori by committee.

* Herb Germann, a history professor at Ocean County College in Toms River, New Jersey, is president of the Association of New Jersey County College Faculty and a member of the New Jersey Education Association higher education committee.

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No, faculty romances with young students are inherently unequal and should be prohibited.
Barry Stearns*

Most colleges have clear standards regarding dating of students in their classes. But the new policy at the College of William and Mary goes far beyond this standard to include the complete prohibition of amorous relations.

I personally believe this is a wise decision for a traditional campus like William and Mary. The stress and complications these relationships cause because they are such one-sided power relationships is an open invitation for problems.

As a counselor, I have spent too much of my professional career dealing with students suffering from relationships where they were not equal partners and were unable to live up to the expectations placed on them in these situations. I have also seen many faculty members hurt as a result of these actions.

For some colleges, however, the William and Mary policy may not make as much sense. For example, at community colleges the average age of students is about 29. Many non-traditional students are divorced or single adults and have better control of their lives and certainly more life experiences than traditional students.

I have a good friend who married one of his students. But this colleague understood the imbalance of power in such a relationship and did not have a relationship with her while she was his student.

To tell two 42-year-old adults they cannot date seems a little far-fetched. But even in this example, I believe professors dating students currently enrolled in their classes places the student in an unhealthy situation—and should be prohibited.

I would urge the faculty governing body on each campus to review the issue and make the decision that fits for that campus.

* Barry Stearns, a licensed professional counselor at Lansing Community College in Michigan, is president of the National Council for Higher Education, the NEA higher education caucus.